Page 31 - Waste-to-Energy in the Danube Strategy Region. Challenges and Prospects

2.5 Social

In addition to the challenges presented above, the development of WtE facilities is also highly

dependent on public acceptance of proposed projects in a particular locality. More specifically,
three dimensions of social acceptance can be distinguished: socio-political, community and

market acceptance. Socio-political acceptance is related mainly to the embracing of technologies

and policies by the public, key stakeholders and policymakers. The second dimension, community
acceptance, is based on procedural justice, distributive justice and trust. In that regard, the

participation of local communities in decision-making processes is crucial; otherwise, protests may

become a factor. From the market point of view, the key problem is market adoption and the

diffusion of innovation, reflecting acceptance by investors, companies and consumers
(Wüstenhagen et al. 2007).

The main reason why WtE technologies often lack public support is that people perceive

them as highly polluting, imposing risks not only to the environment but also to public health and

safety. Social rejection of such projects is often connected with the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard)
or BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone) phenomena, which imply that

geography and distance matter (Achillas et al. 2011). Among newer theories explaining local

opposition is the concept of place attachment. Emerging from social and environmental

psychology, this concept proves that people tend to take place-protective actions when their pre-
existing emotional attachments are disrupted by new technology or other elements introduced

into their environment (Devine-Wright 2009).

When citizens decide to express their disagreement with new plans by the city or private

investors to build a WtE plant, they will most likely take the following steps. Citizens or NGOs will
lodge a complaint with the mayor, municipal authority or district council. People then begin to

organize themselves into groups with common interests, file petitions, organize protests, and

create or join NGOs. The last step involves giving their actions legitimacy, media presence, and an

overall better position to oppose the project. Social opposition can be observed in number of
cases around the region. For example, petitions were filed against a WtE project in Varna, Bulgaria

and a number of public protests were held against incineration plants in Croatia, Czech Republic

Project co-funded by the European Union
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